Sterilizing-machine.



W. B. FENN.

STERILIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, I910- RENEWED FEB. 23, I9I5.

JI IL IIII Q4GO Patented June 1, 1915.

Wlilblhl a W! M. hl'hl', 01E COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOE. TO THE WEDOIT COMPANY, OF EOLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STERILIZING-MACHINE.

nitrate.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dune l 1915.

Application filed November 19, 1910, serial No. 593,181. Renewed February 23, 1915. Serial No. 10,120. i

To all whom z't may concern:

lBe i lnnown that ll, WILLIAM B. Ferns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus in the county of Franklin and State of (Shin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sterilizing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for confining a can or other vessel containing a material that is to be treated as for examplea food product to be sterilized.

thenpointed out in theclaims.-

The invention is embodied in the construction herein shown and described an Tn the accompanying drawing Figure l is a combination view mainly in verticalseo tion illustrating both the cansupporting and. elevating devices and the treating devices. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the treating devices alone on the line w-w Fig. l.

Tn the views 3 designates a cylinder and support within which tits a compound carrier structure that is hollow and constitutes a piston and also a cylinder for a second or auxiliary piston. The said compound structure has an enlarged portion 4. suitably packed as seen at d to constitute the main piston proper and a reduced ortion 5 forming a can chamber. The re need fportion '5 extends through the upper end 0 the cylinder 3, the latter being rovided with a suitable stumng box at 3. he lower end of the said compound structure is bored to form a cylinder 6 closed at its lower end and in which cylinder fits the cylinder piston 7.

. The stem 8 of said piston 7 extends upward through a head or web 9 the latter being provided with a stufing box 7 where the stem passes through it. The upper end of the stem 8 carriesaholder or support 10 for a can or vessel, the latter being designated ll. The iston portion 4 is provided with a duct 12 leading from the lower end of the structure and orted in the head or web above the piston so as to admit fluid ressure to the upper side of said piston.

he portion 4 is also provided with a duct 13 leading from the space between the shells 3 and 5 above the portion 4 into the lower end of the c hinder 6 so that fluid pressure can be con noted from said space to the lower side of the piston v7.

The character 14 designates a pipe connected with the lower end of the cylinder 3 to conduct fluid pressure to the lower end a of the piston 4 and the upper side of the piston 7.

lhe character 15 designates a pipe con-v its upper end a shoulder to limit the down position of the platform as indicated by broken lines Fig. 1. If a height of can ditferent from that indicated is used a ring or stop adapted thereto can be substituted for that shown at 5 so that the upper edge of the can may be left projecting above the chamber shell 5 thereby permitting the open end of the can to be closed by the head 20.

Pressure admitted through the duct 15 and exhausted through the duct 14 causes a reverse of the operation lately described, that is to say, the piston 4: is thrown down and the auxiliary plston 7 thrown up or held so that the can is placed in entirely exposed position to be removed. The upper edge of. the shell 5 is furnished with a suitable ring seat 16 having unpacking ring 17 therein to close on the lower edge of the cylinder 18 to be now described. 1

18 designates the cylinder of the treating devices. Within this cylinder is a piston 19 and a head 20 having connected with it a nozzle 21 adapted to penetrate the contents of the can. and distribute a treating agent thereto. The piston 19 and head 20 are separated by a space QZ-and the head has suitable ducts leading from that space to the nozzle. The cylinder 18 has connected with its upper end a pipe through which fluid pressure is supplied and exhausted to operate the piston and head to throw down the nozzle. Said cylinder 18 is also provided with a pipe to convey the, treating agent to the space above the treating head and thence to the nozzle. This construction issomewhat like that shown in another application for United States patent filed by metlune 24-, 1910, Serial Number 586,674. ln the present lid . instance, however, the piston and head structure is provided with a socket 19 which fie works on a suitable packed stationary nipple 23. The lower end of the cylinder 18 is of a circumference to fit on the packing ring 17 so that when the chamber wall 5 is raised against the lower end of the cylinder 18 the can containing the material to be treated is tightly inclosed and its contents in position to receive treatment with the nozzle 21. Access of the treating agent is controlled by a ball valve 24 held up on its seat by a suitable spring 24 until unseated by necessary pressure. The lower end of the head 20 is furnished with a soft material 25 to make a tight closure on the upper end of the can to be treated and when the head is a trifle loose in its cylinder the head accommodates itself to slight departure of the rim of the can from the level.

In practice the vessel receiving and operating parts, as shown, stand normally as seen in Fig. 1. After a vessel containing the material to be treated is placed on the support 10 pressure is admitted at 14 to raise the hollow structure 4 and depress the piston 7 with respect thereto and the vessel into the upper end of the said structure. When the structure 4 is raised the vessel is carried up with it and the packing ring 17 closes on the lower edge of the cylinder 18 thus confining the vessel. After treatment of the contents of the vessel pressure is admitted at 15 thereby reversing the operation, that is, the structure 4 and vessel are lowered but the vessel not so much as the struc ture thereby leaving the vessel exposed for rcmovah What I claim is:

1. In a sterilizing machine, the combination with sterilizing devices, of means for supporting the vessel containing material to be treated including a main cylinder, :1 hollow structure therein formed as a piston, an

auxiliary piston in said hollow structure, a vessel support proper on said auxiliary piston and ducts for conveying fluid pressure to operate both pistons, substantially as described.

2. In a sterilizing machine, the combination with sterilizing devices, of means for supper-ting a vessel containing material to be treated including a main cylinder, a hollow structure therein formed as a piston, an auxiliary piston in said hollow structure, a vessel support proper on said auxiliary piston, ducts for conveying pressure to elevate the hollow structure and relatively depress the auxiliary piston and conversely to depress the hollow structure and elevate the auxiliary piston.

3. In a sterilizing machine, the combination with sterilizing devices, of means for supporting a vessel containing material to be treated including a main cylinder, a hollow structure therein formed as a piston, an auxiliary piston in said hollow structure, a vessel support proper on said auxiliary piston, said hollow structure adapted to inclose said vessel support, and ducts for conveying fluid pressure to cause said parts to be moved to inclose or expose a vessel on said support.

4. In a sterilizing machine, the combination of a holder for a vessel containing material to be sterilized, a carrier with respect to which the holder is vertically movable, a main support with respect to which the carrier is vertically movable, means for moving the carrier with respect to the support and the holder with respect to the carrier, means for cooperating with the carrier when it is in uppermost position to form a closed chamber, and sterilizing means positioned within the chamber thus formed and adapted to act upon material in a vessel on the holder when the holder is in uppermost position.

WILLIAM B. FENN.

lVitnesses BENJAMIN FINCKEL, MAYME F 0mm. 

